The Lion City Sailors closed the chapter on their inaugural ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Kaya FC–Iloilo at the Biñan Football Stadium on Thursday (6 February) night.
Although both teams were already out of contention for the knockout rounds, the match was still played with competitive intensity, and remained a hard-fought contest that was ultimately decided by two second-half goals from the hosts.
Led by Assistant Coach Marko Perović, who deputised for the unwell Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković, the Sailors made several changes to the starting XI that had beaten Geylang International in a Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash on 26 January, with the likes of goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad, winger Bart Ramselaar, and young striker Abdul Rasaq Akeem coming into the lineup.
As the rain poured down at the Biñan Stadium, both teams started cautiously, with Kaya seeing more of the ball in the early stages. While the Sailors gradually grew into the game, they, too, found clear-cut opportunities hard to come by.
The first real chance of the match finally came in the 21st minute, when Kaya winger Shuto Komaki — who previously played for SPL side Albirex Niigata (S) — skipped past his marker and unleashed a fierce drive that forced Zharfan into an instinctive save.
Four minutes later, a set-piece opportunity saw veteran Kaya defender Simone Rota rise unmarked in the box, but his header lacked conviction and deflected wide.
The Sailors’ best opportunity of the half came just before half-time, with some excellent build-up play leading to Christopher van Huizen teeing up Maxime Lestienne for a shot. The Belgian’s thunderous effort, however, was well saved by Kaya goalkeeper Walid Birrou, and though Rasaq pounced on the rebound, he could not generate enough power to trouble the Kaya goal.
The visitors started the second half brightly, with Bart, in particular, causing problems for the Kaya defence down the left flank. Indeed, the Dutchman was at the heart of the first real chance after the break in the 58th minute, as he delivered a delightful chipped pass into the path of Maxime, but the 32-year-old’s close-range header sailed off-target.
After the game, Marko highlighted the missed chances as a key factor in the defeat, as he said, “In terms of possession, we had a good performance, but we needed to be more aggressive. If you don’t take your chances, you will lose the game.”
The hosts went on to break the deadlock in the 65th minute, with substitute Lucas del Rosario slotting home the rebound after Zharfan had parried Komaki’s well-directed shot into his path.
Marko refused to place blame on Zharfan for the goal, stating, “For the first goal, it was a long ball over our defence, and our goalkeeper tried to deal with it, but the wet field made things difficult. The weather may have caused the ball to move faster than usual, but overall, I don’t think it played a significant role in the game.”
Before the Sailors could regroup from the setback, controversy struck in the 67th minute. A long ball from the back found Kaya winger Jesus Melliza on the right flank, and as he broke into the box, he went down under minimal contact from Hariss Harun. To the Sailors captain’s disbelief, the referee pointed to the spot, and even booked him for the challenge.
After a lengthy VAR review, the penalty stood, and Melliza duly sent Zharfan the wrong way to double Kaya’s lead on 71 minutes.
With time running out, the Sailors then threw numbers forward in search of a comeback. However, they struggled to break down a compact Kaya defence, and despite their best efforts, failed to truly test Birrou in the final moments of the game, as the hosts held on for their first points of the competition.
Despite the win, Kaya finished bottom of the six-team Group B with three points, while the Sailors placed fifth with four points, having recorded one win, one draw, and three defeats.
Reflecting on the Sailors’ Shopee Cup campaign as a whole, Hariss said, “I think we didn’t start the campaign well, and we put ourselves in a difficult position with the first two games (defeats to Borneo FC and CAHN). But we can take heart from the performances against KL City and Buriram United.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, and coming into today’s game, there was nothing but three points to play for. Credit to Kaya — they made the most of their chances. We let two balls slip behind us and conceded two goals.
“We tried to put in a good performance, but it is what it is. Now, we have to put this behind us, look forward, and prepare for the next games.”
The Sailors will next take on Tanjong Pagar United in the SPL at the Bishan Stadium this Sunday (9 February).
